“They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:5-6 ESV)
Everyone who is engaged in the work of evangelism should expect to face rejection regularly. Even though the gospel message is the best news anyone could ever receive, countless people do not want to hear it. At times, that rejection could be caused simply by apathy, but it can also be due to violent opposition. There is a risk in speaking the name of Christ—but the task is still worth the risk.
Why do so many dismiss the solution to their most serious predicament? Shouldn’t the lost be overjoyed at the prospect of being saved? Of course they should, but so often they are not. What is the reason? John gives it to us: they do not listen to the gospel because they are from the world and listen to the world.
The rejection of the gospel is not just a dispositional hindrance, and it does not necessarily indicate a lack of effective communication; spiritual deadness and blindness make the unregenerate person entirely unable to understand or believe (Ephesians 2:1, 1 Corinthians 2:14). A person who has not been born again will never listen to the truth of the gospel unless God intervenes. Thus, it should be no surprise when the gospel messenger is rejected by those of the world.
If a believer is experiencing a lack of fruit in his or her gospel ministry, it may not be due to a lack of skillful presentation or passionate effort. Missionaries who are struggling with exhaustion and feelings of futility need not assume it is just a matter of personal failure. While it may be true that they have not carried out their ministry with full vigor, it may also be that they are being rejected for no other reason than that they are speaking to those who are only capable of listening to the message of the world.
It is vital to remember this truth lest we fall into discouragement about our ministry or even doubt the efficacy of the gospel. When we face continual rejection, and the fruit for which we so earnestly pray and labor is painfully slow in coming, we may be tempted to think that we need to apply additional means to an otherwise straightforward message. We can fall into the danger of having a low view of the gospel to the point that we think the strategies by which we present it are of equal importance, or even greater importance, than the message itself.
The power of the gospel is in the gospel itself. Even when God sends it through our faltering lips, it still carries a divine power that no human hands could conjure.
The gospel is never rejected because it is powerless; it is rejected because of spiritual blindness. As John Calvin said, “It is then no diminution to the authority of the gospel that many reject it.”
John says plainly, “Whoever knows God listens to us.” Those whom God has already chosen to be his own will listen and respond with faith when we share the good news. It is God who makes dead hearts alive, and he ordinarily does so through the plain, bold preaching of the gospel.
All those who proclaim the gospel, regardless of their vocation, hace no confidence apart from this. It is not eloquence or careful planning that saves the lost; it is the message of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We have no more effective weapon with which to storm the gates of hell than clear preaching and earnest prayer.
Many people, no doubt, will reject the gospel and will reject you as the gospel bearer, but in the face of such rejection, Christ continues to build his kingdom.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Give us an unshakable confidence in your gospel. Strengthen us when we feel weak, and uphold us when we feel discouraged. Help us to remember that all those who are yours will hear with joy and respond in faith.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for continued support and provision for frontline missionaries.
- Wednesday: Pray for missionaries meeting critical needs through well drilling in Togo.
- Thursday: Pray for missionaries serving with Hope Alive Healthcare Birthing Center in the Philippines.
- Friday: Pray for missionaries providing education and training in Moldova.
- Saturday: Pray for the college ministry at The Hangout coffee shop in Brazil.
- Sunday: Pray for missionaries engaged in church planting.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries serving in Portugal.
Featured Opportunity to Serve:
Pastoral and Ministry Leadership Internships
Location: South Africa
ABWE teammates in South Africa offer pastoral and church planting internships for those desiring to gain cross-cultural experience in preaching, teaching, leading Bible studies, evangelism, counseling, and children’s and youth ministries.
